Linda Rice busted for driving golf cart

Linda Rice, who last year became the first woman to win the trainer’s title at Saratoga Race Course, has a new title: first female trainer to get busted for driving a golf cart on a city street.

Her golf cart, an unlicensed vehicle that cannot legally be driven on a roadway, was towed after police stopped and ticketed her, police said.

The dust-up with the cops occurred shortly before noon Friday when Rice allegedly pulled out of the backstretch gate onto Nelson Avenue, apparently shuttling her parents, when police pulled over the golf cart, according to witnesses.

“They’ve been warning her that it’s illegal to drive the golf cart on the road,” said a NYRA security guard who asked that his name not be used.

A police official confirmed Rice had been ticketed after a vehicle and traffic stop, but would not provide any additional details.

A messages left for Rice was not returned.

Dan Silver, a NYRA spokesman, said he would have no comment since the incident occurred off the track and under the jurisdiction of city police

The backstretch was abuzz about the bust. Sentiment was mixed.
Some NYRA employees seemed privately pleased that the hard-charging woman who has excelled in a man’s world — apparently stepping on toes in her rise to the top — had finally gotten her comeuppance.

Others thought it was a bush league bust.

Ed Miller, a horse trainer who makes ends meet by operating a hot dog and Italian ice stand just off Nelson Avenue near where Rice was stopped, considered the Rice affair absurd and an affront to those working hard to save a struggling industry.

“These horse owners and trainers need a helping hand up here right now and not a ridiculous arrest like this,” said Miller, a Saratoga Springs resident who ran unsuccessfully for the job of commissioner of public works.

“Don’t the cops have anything better to do?” Miller asked. “If they drive away these horsemen, there will be no racing and this city will die.”

48 Responses

Perhaps a silly bust. But it has nothing to do with driving horse racing out of business. The industry as a whole is going away slowly not just here in Saratoga but the entire country is losing interest.

Times Union would be better served by reporting on what Saratoga is doing to combat illegal – ooops, sorry – undocumented workers who prey upon innocent women. Or maybe a story on how the Saratoga PD’s Spanish lessons are going. . .

Well it said she was ticketed not arrested. If she broke the law, she deserved a ticket. As far as Miller. Well my friend we ALL need a helping hand right now, not just rich peoples horse trainers and jockeys. Even the city of Saratoga can. The money they make off her fine will provide a few needed dollars.

OMG was this really necessary, wouldn’t a verbal warning been good enough. Mr Miller is correct once the show goes someplace else there will be nobody for police to harass. Maybe there are just to many police in Saratoga just like in Bethlehem, Troy, Schenectady and Albany. Obviously there is nothing for them to do except look for trouble, and they always manage to find some wherever they go.

Would you or I get a ticket if we did this? She is the law. The cops not above the law. The cops are doing there job.Saratoga is very busy during the Racing Season, it is for her safety and her parents. the economical times have nothing to do with this.If that were true then cops should not ticket anyone, many people have lost their jobs.

#4 Did you read this story? Rice was warned in the past and she continued to drive the golf cart. (They’ve been warning her that it’s illegal to drive the golf cart on the road,” said a NYRA security guard who asked that his name not be used). I guess she is lucky she didn’t cause any accidents in which someone would be injured.

The police were doing their job, it’s called enforcing the NYS traffic laws.

She was warned so she knew she wasn’t suppose to be driving that cart down the street. She is an adult who should understand the concept of being responsible and respectful to the law and the safety of others. Where does she get off thinking she is above the law just because she won the a trainers title and she’s the first women to do it. Big deal.

I don’t see this as picking on her. Read above she has been warned not to drive on the city streets with the cart. Therefore she ignored warning and continued to break the law, she deserved what she got. And as far as Saratoga Police driving racing out of the city…. please one really has nothing to do with the other. The state, NYRA and others are far more responsible for that than a trainer driving a golf cart.

They have turned Saratoga into a police state this summer. One can’t go to a SPAC show without it seeming like you’re crossing the old Berlin Wall. They lie in wait outside of all the large gatherings with the single purpose of pulling over cars. DWI checkpoints on every corner.

Now we have a woman’s GOLF CART being TOWED because she dared to give her aging parents a ride to their car across the street!

This is the mentality that has been instilled by former DPS Commission Ronald Kim.

Go ahead, chase away all thr tourists, visitors, in-town workers and make even the citizens think twice about wandering outdie their doors for a night out.

Lots of people drive their golf carts the VERY short distance down Nelson between the receiving barn (where Rice keeps many of her horses) and the stable gate to the main track and have been for years. I have done it myself. It’s silly that she got a ticket and even sillier that this is considered news!

Upon reading this story, I find it very gratifying that Mr. Miller failed to win election to the office of Commissioner of Public Works. Imagine an elected official promoting the idea that somebody should be above the law simply because she’s part of a “struggling” industry. Is he cognizant of the fact that MANY people, MANY businesses, have been struggling in this economy? Should EVERY individual in EVERY struggling business be given a free pass when it comes to driving illegally, no matter how many warnings they’re given? Or are we reserving this treatment for people in the industries that Mr. Miller has deemed important enough? Clearly, Ms. Rice has a sense of entitlement and Mr. Miller is all too happy to oblige “celebrities.”

If she was only driving from a gate to a vehicle parked accross the street, then this was overkill. If she was driving a block or more than fine, ticket her. In general though, all these small town police agencys have too much time on their hands, and go crazy enforcing the VTL.

to the people that are taking her side on this- how about if she hit your car driving the uninsured golf cart and you were left holding the bag to pay for the damage. she is nothing special and got what she deserved.

Hey people please get a life. Stop sitting around judging someone who you don’t know. I’m sure all of you are so perfect in your lives. Everyone at the track uses golf carts. Linda got warned because she is well known. Stop being jealous and right the wrongs in your own lives instead of being happy that someone who works harder than you’ll ever know got in a little bit of trouble. She doesn’t think she’s above the law. She’s a person like you and I. I hope when you people get a speeding ticket for driving 2 mph over the limit you remember what you said here.

Gerard, if I kept driving in an illegal fashion *and was warned several times not to do that specific thing in that specific place,* and I kept doing it ’til finally I got a ticket, I would certainly deserve exactly what I got. If Ms. Rice hadn’t been given a warning, I think you’d be right. But to ignore repeated warnings is just plain foolhardy. Similarly, if somebody warned me that a given two-block area was a speed trap, and I understood the warning but decided to speed there anyway, I’d deserve a ticket. Maybe two tickets: one for the infraction, and one for being just plain dense.

I work at the track and saw exactly where she was pulled over. Linda’s horses are across Nelson Ave from the track, in the Sanford barns which are on the “harness side” of Nelson Ave. (You would think that she was driving the cart up Broadway to hear some people commenting!) She drives her cart about 75 yards from the Nelson and Gridley gate to her barns. She keeps to the side of the road. I have seen her about 10 times this summer doing so. This is how she keeps up with the many horses she trains. Gold carts have been standard equipment for about a decade around the track and training grounds. Suddenly it’s an issue for the SSPD???
If I were Linda, I’d be looking into getting more horses into New Jersey and turning the Sanford stalls over to some dopes with bad horses so they could run more $10k claiming races at Saratoga.
I participated in the 2 horse shows at the NYRA property this spring. During both shows, there was considerable golf cart traffic and NO ONE was bothered.
I saw the towed cart being brought in on a flatbed and was simply amazed that this could happen.
I’ll admit that I know and like Linda. As Gerard (#24) states, she is one of the hardest working people I have ever met. She is neither arrogant or a person with a “superior” attitude. She was chosen for selective enforcement of a law that has never (to my knowledge) been enforced before. I also agree with Gerard that the next time all of those who are happy she was ticketed are caught doing 62 in a 55, you smile and thank the nice officer for reminding you of your duty as a responsible person to never exceed 55.

Linda’s barn is on the other side of Nelson ave from where she works out her horses in the morning. Her horses can cross to the backstretch but she has to drive 100yard down the road to get there. Linda is a fine,healthy woman but many of her owners are older and expect the comfort that is afforded every other trainer on the backstretch….if she had 2 or 3 horses it wouldn’t be a problem but try managing 40 from that location. Knowing her,I bet she blew a gasket when they towed it.

I really doubt she is the only one doing this, I doubt the Police hangout on Nelson ave waiting for traffic issues, I would believe someone turned her in, maybe a little jealousy going on. Don’t you folks think the law is sometimes taken to far, But I wouldn’t want to be a police officer, a tough job. Mr.Miller, I really find it hard to believe that this industry is so tough, Saratoga is packed every day during this meet, The amount of betting is amazing, not many folks leave with extra in their pockets. I do believe the NYRA is very corrupt, the salaries are out of control [ top salaries ] , It sounds like the NYRA needs some changes at the top, Management ??.

Let’s see, if she was wearing a Pinkerton Uni she could drive all over Saratoga in a golf cart, because she is just another pretty lady trying to help out her aging parents she gets ticketed. Golf carts around the track have been a staple for trainers and “SECURITY” for years. If you don’t want them on the streets than have NYRA borrow more money from the State and build a bridge over Union Ave. While the cops are at it maybe they could clean up the sidewalks of the pesty kids hawking drinks, cookies and who knows what else.(not really I think it’s great these kids have iniative). Realistically a couple of tunnels should be built under Union Ave., one for pedestrians to help with traffic and another for the barns so horses don’t have to cross the street, and Ms. Rice can drive her golf cart to and fro.